


Quid Pro Quo

by VeryImportantDemon



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: A hypothetical future for Avengers 4, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Humanity, Might make things worse, Tag to Infinity War, a lot of relationships - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-05-20 04:48:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14887952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeryImportantDemon/pseuds/VeryImportantDemon
Summary: Quid pro quo: a favor or advantage granted or expected in return for something. An eye for an eye. A soul for a soul.Or: A way to bring back some of the dead surfaces.





	Quid Pro Quo

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this happened. 
> 
> TW: Bruce discusses depression and last suicide attempts at the very end.

What is left of the Avengers gather in Wakanda. They are under the protection of the young queen and her guard - what is left of them. They don’t all stay put for long. Almost as soon as Nebula and Tony Stark return, the cyborg takes Thor and Rocket. They’re heading for Vormir, she says, and the two are the most well-versed in space travel. Something is there.

Answers.

—-

There’s supposed to be a kid, Steve thinks, but Tony returns and he is alone. He recalls seeing Spider-Man swinging through New York City pursuing the aliens on the news. He recalls seeing Spider-Man with Stark, but the kid isn’t with him now. Something happened, and Steve thinks he knows what. His own heart heavy, he seeks out Tony Stark.

The man is alone, sitting beneath a huge stone sculpture of a black panther. His legs are dangling off the cliff and he watches the sunset. He must hear Steve’s boots crunching the ground beneath them as he approaches, but he doesn’t move. Steve stops a few paces back, not wanting to intrude. “I’m sorry,” Steve says. Stark is silent for a few long moments before he speaks but he doesn’t turn around.

“For what?” he says. Steve lets that question sit heavily in the air for awhile, thinking about his answer.

“The kid,” Steve said. “Vision.” He knows Stark has a special attachment to the android, as well. After all, he was created from one of Stark’s creations.

Stark heaves a sigh, still not moving, but he gestures for Steve to come have a seat. As he approaches, takes his seat on the ground next to his old friend, his old enemy, Stark speaks again. “I think I knew as soon as this started Vizh was a goner,” he admits. “An Infinity Stone powers him. Somewhere, I always knew he was going to be one of the first to go, but…” Stark falters, shaking his head. “Peter. He’s just a kid. He’s 15. You know what he told me when he first jumped on that ship?”

Steve shakes his head. Stark hasn’t spoken much about what had befallen them before their encounter with Thanos. He takes a deep breath before he speaks again. “Kid said he couldn’t be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man if there wasn’t a neighborhood.” Steve recognizes the sentiment. The kid just wants - he finds it hard to refer to any of the ones they lost in past tense - to do something to help save his home. Steve himself has done the same thing - a long, long time ago.

“I’m sorry,” Steve repeats. It is a feeble apology because no amount of apologies could make what had happened better. No amount of apologies can bring back Parker.

Stark runs his hands through his hair, sighing deeply. “It’s not your fault,” he says. “But thanks. And for what it’s worth…” He trails off, like it takes a lot of energy to say what he is about to. “I’m sorry about Barnes, too.”

Steve takes a deep breath. This isn’t the first time he’s lost Bucky Barnes, but it may be the last time. He thinks Tony Stark understands. “Yeah,” he says. “Thanks.”

—-

Time ceases to pass for Tony. He genuinely does not know the date, nor does he care. The world outside of Wakanda has dissolved into anarchy, he thinks. But Tony Stark does not care about the world. He cares about the people who have been taken from it. He cares about Peter Parker and Pepper Potts. He cares about Shuri. She reminds him of Peter. Mostly, though, he pities Shuri. She is so young, only 16 years old. She’s Peter’s age and she’s ruling an entire country while coping with the deaths of her mother and her brother and one of the best friends she knew. It is too much for anyone, let alone a girl as young as she is.

She tries to help in the aftermath. She knows it is what T’Challa and Nakia would have wanted. They fought for it, so now she fights for it. Or she tries. She does try, but things are so messed up on the outside that she breaks down and closes Wakanda off again. She offers help when she can, to people she can, but for the most part, they keep to themselves. They keep to themselves while they desperately try to figure out what to do.

Mostly, though, Shuri locks herself in her lab. She’s working on something. Tony seeks her out and Okoye tells him she’s in her lab again. Tony makes his way there, traipsing down the spiral that descends. She reminds him of Peter and he wants to make sure she’s doing okay. She’s hunched over a long table in her lab, her hands moving deftly as she works. He watches her for a very long time and she doesn’t even notice him. Finally, he decides to speak. “Hey,” he says. She doesn’t acknowledge him, just keeps working. He waits, glancing at her project. He frowns. It looks like a body. A robot. She’s building something big.

“Hey, your highness,” he says. She notices him this time and jumps. Shuri whips around, relaxing when she sees him. Her eyes are red, but Tony pretends not to notice. She swears in Xhosa and shakes her head.

“What have I told you about sneaking into my lab without telling me?” she asks. Tony shrugs and leans back against the wall, crossing his arms.

“Thought I’d come see what you were doing,” he says. He gestures to the table. She turns slightly back towards it, as if seeing it for the first time. She opens her mouth, closes it, and thinks before speaking.

“I need a project,” the girl queen says, wringing her hands. She looks up at him and she looks broken. “I need a project because if I stop moving my hands and I stop thinking for even a few moments, then I will start thinking about my mother and my brother and I will not start again.” Tony heaves a sigh. He can definitely relate to that. He knows what she needs right now and that’s a distraction.

“Tell me about it,” he suggests. “Whatever you’re working on.”

Shuri actually smiles when he asks about her project. “It’s Vision,” she says. Tony stops.

“Vision?” he says in utter disbelief. He has seen the broken remains of the being he had helped create. He was shown the body when he and Nebula returned from Titan. “How? The stone is gone.”

“You see, I do not need the stone,” Shuri explains. “I can rebuild him without it. Before…” She trails off, not wanting to say before Thanos. It’s alright. Tony knows what she means. She forges forward anyway. “I took scans of him. I was trying to remove the stone. It is very possible to. All I needed to do was disconnect the receptors in his brain and reconnect them to each other and not the stone. The only reason I wasn’t able to do it before was because I didn’t have enough time. Now all I needed to do was construct a new form for him to take and recreate his brain with scans I have. I can do this. I can do this. I just need time. I’ve already started on the neuron receptors.” Shuri lets out a puff of air like she hasn’t breathed the entire time she spoke. She’s a lot like him, Tony thinks. Smart. Driven. Afraid of standing still for too long. Stricken with loss.

“I believe you, kid,” Tony says, and she smiles faintly again. He takes another breath and a leaf out of Rogers’ book. “I’m sorry,” he adds. Shuri’s brows knit.

“For what?” she asks. Tony shrugs slightly.

“You know,” he says. “All of this shit. Your brother.” Shuri swallows hard, like she’s trying not to cry. She shakes her head, gathers herself, and speaks.

“Ithemba liyaphilisa,” she says. Tony frowns again. He notices Xhosa, and he can speak a little because of all the time he has spent here, but he doesn’t know that. “Hope causes one to live,” She clarifies. “My father used to say that, and my mother, and my brother. If I keep hope, if I keep working… Maybe someday I will get him back. We will get there all back.”

Tony is quiet for awhile before he speaks. “Huh,” he says. “That’s one way to do it.” He admires the girl’s optimism and her dedication in the face of all of this awful. “You mind if I watch you work? I need something to focus my mind on, too.” Shuri nods and turns back to the shell of the android Tony used to know and cries silently, but he doesn’t see her tears.

—-

It occurs to Tony that the reason Shuri is so focused on saving Vision is because she couldn’t save her brother, but she can save him.

—-

Okoye’s heart breaks. She has guarded the royal family of Wakanda since she was little more than a girl herself. She has been a General for years. But now… Now her kingdom, her Wakanda, her home is halved. She watched her king dissolve in front of her eyes. Now she must watch the princess she watched grow up become queen before her time with no one beside her. Well, no one but her. Okoye promised to protect the throne, and she shall. Nothing will stop her. She will be the one at Shuri’s side. She will be the one to protect her.

Okoye is awake one evening, pacing back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth. She hasn’t been able to sleep soundly since her country started to crumble. But this time, something is different. While she paces, she hears muffled crying. She makes her way towards the sound, her hand on the weapon at her hip. When she pushes the door open, she finds not an enemy but her queen curled up on her bed, hugging a pillow to her chest and crying quietly. “My queen,” she says softly, entering and closing the door.

Shuri’s head shoots up and she clutches harder at the pillow. “No,” she cries. “No. I am no queen. I am no queen, I am no queen, I am no queen!” She repeats the phrase over and over, hugging her legs and rocking back and forth.

“Shuri,” Okoye says, and she approaches the bed. She carefully climbs up, the mattress shifting beneath her. She pulls Shuri into her arms. The girl throws the pillow aside and opts instead for Okoye, clutching her like she is the only solid thing left.

“I want him back,” she cries. “I want my brother. I don’t want to do this alone, I don’t want to do this without him. This is not my job, it was never supposed to be. It’s his! Always his. Okoye, I don’t know what to do… I don’t know what to do.”

Okoye is supposed to know what to do. She’s the general of the Dora Milaje. She is always supposed to know what to do. But this time, she doesn’t, so she just holds Shuri tight. She holds her tight and sings a lullaby in quiet Xhosa until Shuri cries herself to sleep. Okoye tucks her in like the Queen Mother used to do and she doesn’t cry herself until she is back in the hall.

—-

Thor thinks as he, the cyborg, and the rabbit fly to Vormir. He thinks mostly about loss. Loki is gone now. His father is gone. His mother is long gone. His people are gone. He has next to no one left. Yet he feels kinship with those who are left. With his new people, the remaining Avengers. With the rabbit who he now shares the craft with. The rabbit he found sitting with his legs crossed, holding a stick.

It isn’t from his friend, the talking tree. It is from a tree in Wakanda, something he grabbed on their way out. Something he has just been staring at. “My friend,” Thor says. The rabbit startles, looking up sharply.

“Whaddaya want?” he asks gruffly. Thor shrugs slightly.

“I brought you a gift,” he says, and he reaches into his pocket and procures a small object. He opens his hand, holding it out to Rocket, who gently places his stick on the ground and scampers up to Thor, leaning up on his toes to peer into Thor’s open hand. It’s a thin piece of wood, much like the one Rocket just had except it is much smoother. Rocket picks it up and frowns.

“The hell is this?” he asks. Thor smiles a little.

“I took it from Stormbreaker’s handle,” he says. “I could spare just a little. I thought you would appreciate it.” Rocket’s eyes widen and he stares up at Thor.

“Oh,” he says, his voice rough. “Thank you.” He clutches the piece of wood, his hands twitching. Thor shifts slightly, turning to leave for the cockpit where he is to take over from Nebula when Rocket throws himself at Thor. He is small and light, so he scurries up Thor’s chest and squeezes him, his small, furry arms clutching Thor’s shoulders. Thor startles but hugs the small mammal back. “Thank you,” Rocket says again, his voice tight and muffled by Thor’s chest. “Thank you for giving him back to me.”

Thor’s heart twinges and aches in his chest. His people are gone, no hope of bringing them back, but Rocket’s people… There is hope for Groot. Thor swears to himself in that moment that he will do whatever it takes to get Groot back for his new small friend.

—-

Wong watches. In the mass genocide, he is spared, but many of his people are not. He suspects he may be the only one left. So he keeps an eye on Wakanda. He watches from the Sanctum and he thinks. He keeps an eye on Wakanda because he knows if anyone will find a way to help remedy this terrible situation, it’s the people there. He watches because if they need him, he will be there.

—-

Rhodey doesn’t know how he’s alive. He truly doesn’t. Of all of the people killed, he is not one of them. It is a terrible game of chance, and he wins. He wins but does he really? He aches because he remembers Sam. Sam is gone. He feels such kinship with Sam Wilson, and Sam is gone.

He desperately tries to find out how Sam died. Rhodey knows he dissolved like the rest of them, but he wants to know more. He wants to know if anyone was there for him. No man deserves to die alone, least of all Sam Wilson. He’s the kindest man Rhodey has ever met that came out of the military still kind and smiling. He wants to know how Sam died.

No one knows. He scours everyone who is still in Wakanda. He talks to Rogers and Rocket and Romanoff and Okoye and M’Baku and Banner. No one saw Sam. He died alone.

Rhodey failed him. It is always supposed to be no man left behind and Rhodey left someone behind. When he realizes that Sam died all alone, probably searching for him, for any of them… He makes a tight fist and he punches the wall.

—-

Vision wakes up. He is blinking, confused. Surprised. The last thing he remembers is laying out on a table in the Wakandan princess’ lab as she tried to extract the stone. The last thing he remembers is Shuri’s face. He sits up, and the first thing he sees is Shuri. “Hello,” he says, swinging his legs off the table and rising to his feet. He feels different. He isn’t sure how to describe it, but he feels different. He supposes it’s because he no longer has the stone that gave him life. “We should go,” he says to the princess. “They will need us.” Shuri looks upset. Her eyes are faintly red.

“I did it,” she says. “I did it. I brought you back. I did it.” Vision frowns, confused. He is more confused when he see Tony Stark. He looks upset, too. Stoic. Closed off.

“Mr. Stark,” he says. The last thing he knew, Mr. Stark was in space. But he is here now. “Princess. Have we won?” Shuri shakes her head, running her fingers through her hair.

“I brought you back,” she says. “The stone is destroyed. But…” She falters, squeezing her eyes shut. Stark takes over.

“We lost,” he says. His jaw is locked and he doesn’t meet Vision’s eyes. “He did it and we lost.”

If Vision has a real human heart, he is sure it would have stopped. He told Ultron what seems like so long ago that he is on the side of life and that life will always win. But they lost. “Wanda,” he says. He has to know if she is okay. He can deal with losing the rest of the world if he has Wanda with him because Wanda is his world.

“She’s gone, kid,” Stark says, and his voice is still tightly, his jaw still locked. He is coping with loss, too.

Vision does not know how to respond. He is alive, awake, aware… But Wanda is not. “Why?” he says. Shuri frowns slightly, trying to discreetly wipe her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Why what?” she asks.

“Why did you bring me back?” Vision asks. “If Wanda is gone, why did you bring me back?” The question is so innocently phrased that it is heartbreaking.

“Because,” Shuri says, “everyone deserves a chance to live. My brother didn’t get it and my mother didn’t get it and one of my best friends didn’t get it and your Wanda didn’t get it. But I could help you. I could give you life again.”

Vision thinks on that for a few moments. Her philosophy aligns with his. “Oh,” he says. “Thank you.” But his mind is still locked on Wanda.

Mr. Stark leaves but Vision stays. Shuri wants to talk to him, to go over everything she has done to bring him back, but his mind wanders. She built him a new body that looks almost just like his old one out of a vibration alloy, tinted red for familiarity. He’s much less flesh now, much less man and much more machine. Shuri tells him that she’s working on something much like the process that created him in the first place, something that will give him a much more human body, more human than the one he had before. The prospect is still alluring, even with Wanda gone. Since he was born, his desire to be human burned within him. He could be human. He can live the life he is given with vigor. For Wanda.

He doesn’t remember the end of the battle, even though they tell him he was there. Shuri explains that she couldn’t reprogram into his brain anything that happened after the brain scans she took of him because she didn’t know what the neurons would look like. The word program strikes him in the heart. Program. Like a machine. He has tried so hard to be human, but now he is just a machine. A barely organic machine. Not at all human.

He takes a deep breath, curls his metal fingers inward, and stares at them. He wonders who he really is. Without Wanda, in Wakanda and not Scotland, he doesn’t know.

—-

Nebula, Thor, and Rocket return with news. They have gathered everyone together, telling them what they learned on their excursion. They found something in Vormir, Thor tells them. A way to bring back some of those who they have lost. The guardian of the Soul Stone told them that it and Vormir obey an old logic. The eye for an eye type. The stone will take a soul for a soul.

It is silent for a very long time before Tony speaks. “Quid pro quo,” he says wryly, shaking his head. “That bastard.” They all realize he’s calling a hunk of rock a bastard, but most of them sympathize. “How do we do this bullshit?” Tony says again. He’s still the only one to have spoken.

Nebula speaks this time. “Stormbreaker,” she says. “He summons the bifrost or whatever he calls it and takes whoever wants to trade their soul to Vormir. The Red Skull will take it from there.” Steve startles at the mention of an old, old foe, but that is not the strangest thing he has heard of late so he accepts it and doesn’t speak. They are all very quiet for a very long time until Tony speaks again, speaks directly to Thor.

“Take me,” he demands. They all blink, startled for a few moments, but no one tries to talk him out of it. They all know the depth of his loss. They all have someone they would die to bring back.

“Of course, my friend,” Thor says. “If it is what you wish.” He grips his axe tight, and he looks too much like an executioner for his own liking. Tony steps forward, his face set. There are no tears. He has made up his mind. Before he can do anything, Rhodey stands up. Tony turns to face the noise.

“Hey, Tony,” he says. “Thought you were getting out of this without telling me good-bye?” He shakes his head and walks towards his old friend. Tony turns and heads straight into Rhodey’s open arms. They embrace, Tony balling up the back of Rhodey’s t-shirt and squeezing him tightly. Rhodey holds him tighter. They stand like that for a very long time. When Tony finally speaks, his voice is muffled by Rhodey’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” he says softly, his voice rough. “For everything.” They finally pull away from each other, Rhodey’s eyes shining with tears. He doesn’t speak or perhaps he can’t speak as Tony walks towards Thor again. He stops dead when he hears another voice call out.

“Tony,” he says. Tony turns sharply, not believing who he hears speak. He and Steve have developed a sort of camaraderie in the days and weeks since Thanos, but he has always been Stark. But this time… Steve holds out a hand for Tony to shake. An olive branch. A sign of peace in their last moments together. Tony thinks for a few moments and then he takes it, pulling Steve in for a hug. Steve is a little taken aback by the sudden hug, but he takes it.

When they finally break apart, Steve speaks. “We spent so long fighting when we could have been making peace. We bickered like children when we could have been working together. I’ll always regret that and I’m sorry.” Tony smiles wryly.

“Thanks, Cap,” he says. He claps Steve on the shoulder, squeezing it gently. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry, too. And I don’t hand that away lightly. Watch the kid for me when he gets back.” Steve nods firmly as Tony turns to head back towards Thor, but stops and turns instead to Shuri. He’s had this idea for awhile. “I wanna give you a present,” he says, “before I go.” She frowns slightly, stepping towards him from her position next to Okoye.

“What do you want, Stark?” she says, trying to muster some of her bravado and brashness, some of her usual humor. It’s tough in this day and age, especially since she is about to lose her new friend after everyone else.

“You remind me a lot of me, kid,” he says. “I wouldn’t trust anyone else to be Iron Man after me.” Shuri’s eyes widen, her heart pounding.

“You don’t…” She shakes her again. “Seriously?” Tony nods his head.

“Deathly serious,” he says. “All of my suits are yours for the taking, the name, everything. You’re Iron Man, kiddo. Do me proud.” Shuri stands up straighter, her eyes glittering despite everything.

“I will,” she says sincerely. “I really will.” Tony squeezes her shoulder again and she smiles at him. Then he finally turns towards Thor.

“Let’s go,” he says. He doesn’t meet anyone’s eyes, but he stands straighter and looks braver than he ever has.

Thor grips the handle of his axe and swings it, slamming the head into the ground. The rainbow springs forth. Tony links his dings and stretches, popping them. Then he rolls his neck, popping it. “Let’s go,” he says, and he steps into the rainbow.

—-

Tony lands hard on the rocky planet, but he doesn’t care. He can’t care. The only thought he has is Peter. Peter Parker. Peter Parker. He’s going to save Peter Parker. He strides up to the edge of the cliff confidently. He had been scared a lot during his life, but he isn’t scared now.

The Red Skull steps out from behind a rock formation, his black cloak fluttering slightly. “You are where to pay the toll,” he says. Tony nods firmly. He’s not afraid. He’s never been more certain of anything. This is the greatest thing he’s ever done.

“What do I do?” he asks, peering over the edge of the cliff. “Just jump?” The Red Skull nods.

“To acquire the Soul Stone, one must sacrifice someone they love. To bring one back from the Soul Stone, one must sacrifice their very self. It must be willing or the Stone will not accept,” he explains. Tony nods again. He is willing to do this. There is no doubt about that in his mind.

“Just jump,” Tony repeats. He doesn’t look over the edge of the cliff once more before he hurls himself off the end. The only thought in his mind is Peter Parker.

—-

Peter’s chest is heaving as he stumbles through the shimmering rainbow. Thor retracts his axe, slinging it over his shoulder. Peter stumbles, nearly collapsing on the throne room floor. He looks up, his eyes wide and shining with tears. Steve moves closer to the boy, picking him up off the ground and holding him up. “What happened?” Peter stammers. “What happened? Where’s Mr. Stark?” No one speaks. This one is Tony’s.

“What do you know about what just happened?” he asks. Peter shakes his head slightly, like he’s trying to forget.

“Thanos,” he says. “I felt it coming. Then I… I woke up in some other dimension, all by myself. Nothing but darkness. For… For so long.” He hugs himself, his shoulders hunched, and Steve’s heart aches as he realizes how young the boy looks. “Then I got… Got sucked out of it. I was on some planet with this… This creepy red guy in a hood. There was a rainbow next to him and I could see Earth in it so I went through it. Where’s Mr. Stark?”

Steve hesitated again, opening his mouth and closing it again. “He’s gone,” Steve says. Peter’s face falls.

“No,” he says. “He can’t have gone after me. He can’t have. He would’ve been alone. I left him alone. He said if anything happened to me it would be on him and I died and I said I was sorry because I didn’t want him to be mad at me and I want to-“ Peter speaks in such a rush he doesn’t breathe the entire time. Steve knows he isn’t as close with the boy as Tony was, that no one is, but he can try to help. He draws Peter in close.

“Sh,” he says. “It’s okay. It’s alright.” Peter melts in Steve’s arms as the man continues to speak. “He didn’t die like that, he wasn’t mad at you, Peter. He was never mad at you. He loved you.” Peter looks up with his eyes still shining with tears.

“Then what happened to him?” he asks. Steve swallows hard again.

“We found a way to bring back some of the people who were taken, but… There was a price. He gave himself up to bring you back,” Steve explains.

Peter breaks down again, sobbing in Steve’s arms. He’s struck again with how young the boy is. The soldier draws him closer. Tony would have wanted him to protect him. Tony specifically asked Steve to do it and he is going to. He holds Peter tight until he stops crying, which is a long time later.

—-

Their number in the throne room stays the same. Peter is sitting in the throne that used to be T’Challa’s, out of the way from Thor and the rest of the proceedings. Away from Rhodey who steps up and speaks next. “Alright,” he says. “My turn.”

He is closest with the Avenger who is already gone, so there are no tearful good-byes for him. Steve salutes him before he steps into the shimmering rainbow and the gestures makes Rhodey smile. He had looked up to Captain America as a boy. Who hadn’t? He salutes back before he steps forward. He isn’t afraid, either. He has lived a long, good life. He wants to give that chance to someone else.

—-

Sam Wilson is the next one to step back through the rainbow from Vormir. He is more graceful than Peter but he still stumbles, his eyes wide. He is back. He is alive. And then Steve tells him that Rhodey is gone.

—-

For awhile after Sam returns, nothing happens. They are all still calming down. Then, because nothing is simple, a fiery golden circle rips the space in front of them. They all jerk. Everyone is jerky nowadays. Vision steps forward, a little awkward and clunky either his new body. He positions himself in front of it quickly, ready to protect if things go sour. But things don’t go badly. A short man in a robe steps out of the circle and it closes behind him. “Good evening,” he says, nodding slightly.

None of them recognize the man, but he seems to know them. “I have been watching,” he says, “and I think I could be of some assistance. My name is Wong and I am from the Sanctum.” Peter, who is still sitting in T’Challa’s throne, blinks.

“The Sanctum?” he repeats, more of a question. “The wizard was from there.” The man nods slightly.

“Yes, the wizard,” he says. “Our mission was to protect the time stone. Since we have failed in that, I think it prudent to do the best I can to retrieve Doctor Strange. I believe he will be of more assistance to you than I.” Thor nods slightly, lifting his axe again.

“Clearly you are a man of honor,” Thor says. “It would be my pleasure to do this for you.”

—-

Doctor Strange is the next one to return. He steps through with his cape fluttering behind him, looking none the worse for wear. They tell him what has happened, but he sheds no tears. However, his face does go blank. He steps away from the group and turns his back.

—-

Shuri is tense as she stands between Okoye and M’Baku. She has lost her brother, her mother, her friend, another friend. And she is about to lose another because Okoye steps forward. Her head is held high, her shoulders back. She looks proud and strong. “I would like to volunteer,” she says.

Shuri’s eyes widen and she lurches forward, grabbing for her arm. “You can’t,” she says. “Please. Please, I cannot lose another one. You can’t. You can’t leave.” Okoye turns back towards Shuri, gripping her shoulders.

“I will take this burden from your shoulders,” she says. “You are too young. You have lost too much. I will bring you back your brother. I have promised to give everything for the country and the people I love.” Tears instantly welled in Shuri’s eyes. She pulled Okoye in close, holding her as tight as she could.

“I will miss you,” Shuri says, and she tries not to cry. She is not just a queen anymore. She is the Iron Man. “May all of our blessings go with you.” Okoye pulls back, smiling weakly at her. She leans forward and presses a kiss to Shuri’s forehead.

“It has been a privilege to call you my queen and my friend,” she says. Okoye raises her arms to her chest and crosses them. “Wakanda forever,” she says.

Shuri mirrors the gesture. “Wakanda forever,” she repeats, her eyes still shining. Okoye turns away from Shuri and steps towards Thor. She doesn’t get far before she is stopped by another voice from behind her.

“Wait,” M’Baku says. Okoye frowns, facing him.

“Why must I wait?” she says. He crosses towards her, the furs draped over his shoulders shifting.

“I seek to take your place,” he tells her. “The country will need its general if there is to be another fight. As much as it pains me to say, you will be more needed than I.” Okoye hesitates, debating whether or not to accept the offer. She doesn’t speak for a long time but M’Baku doesn’t let her make a decision. “I just have one request,” M’Baku says. Okoye nods again.

“For what you have done for our king, I will do anything you ask,” she promises. M’Baku nods again.

“Tell the king when he returns…” He pauses, thinking for a few beats before he speaks. “Tell him I have bested him. A favor he will never be able to repay.” Okoye almost smiles at that.

“I will tell him,” she vows.

“Wakanda forever,” he says, snapping his arms into an x over his chest.

“Wakanda forever,” Okoye says, matching him. M’Baku turns again, stepping through the rainbow, and he disappears.

—-

Shuri lingers as close to the rainbow as she can get. As soon as her brother stumbles back to their world, she runs. She doesn’t even try to act proper. This is her brother. He’s back. She leaps for him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He collapses under her sudden weight. They are in a heap on the ground, Shuri sobbing. T’Challa brings her as close to him as he possibly can.

It takes a very long time before she can speak again. “Brother,” she says, sniffling. “Oh, brother… I missed you so much.” She pulls back, smiling through her tears.

“I am deeply sorry my passing inconvenienced you,” he says, trying to joke in the way only he could. “But I am sure you were a lovely queen.”

Shuri pulls back and punches him in the arm. He pretends to be hurt. “You are never, ever to leave me again! I hated being a queen. I am no queen. I am an engineer. I am Iron Man.” T’Challa smiles, pulling her to him and embracing her tightly again.

“I will never leave you alone again,” he promises. Okoye smiles softly behind them. She would have been proud to sacrifice herself for this. But she does have one more duty to uphold.

“My king,” she says. He looks up, still holding his sister. “M’Baku sacrificed himself to bring you back to our country. He wished for me to deliver a message to you.” T’Challa frowns, confused, but nods accepts.

“He has bested you. A favor you will never be able to repay,” she says. T’Challa looks down at Shuri, unable to extract herself from him.

“For this,” he says, “I will be forever in his debt.”

—-

Vision watches the proceedings with interest. He is standing in the back, next to Steve Rogers. The Captain watches the android carefully. “You want to go, don’t you,” he says. It isn’t a question, more like a statement. He knows.

Vision nods slightly. “Of course,” he says. “I would give my life for Wanda Maximoff in a heartbeat. But I have no life so I could not do anything about it.” Vision doesn’t need to breathe, but he takes a deep breath in anyway. He is cold metal, nothing but a shell with his old body’s mind locked inside. He believes he has life but there are many who don’t. He does not think the Soul Stone will see shades of gray.

Captain Rogers is quiet for a very long time, watching T’Challa and Shuri reunite. He looks over at Peter and Sam, at Strange lingering in the corner of the throne room. He takes a deep breath and steps forward. He skirts the edge of the room, towards Thor. The only figure who notices him moving is Vision. “Captain,” he says. He steps forward and touches Steve’s shoulder. “Where are you going?” Steve shrugs slightly before he speaks.

“Wanda’s a kid,” he says. “She’s a kid who deserves more of a chance to live.” He pauses for a few moments before he speaks. “Maybe I’ll see Bucky,” he says. Vision’s hand falls from Steve’s arm. He doesn’t speak again, cataloging Steve’s final words as he watches him skirt the edges of the throne room to Thor. No one notices as he steps into the rainbow except Thor and Vision. No one watches Steve leave except Thor and Vision, but they all notice Wanda returning.

Her hands glow red as she strides out. Her eyes are blazing and a few strands of her hair lift and flutter in the wind her power creates. Vision stepped forward again, reaching towards her. She opens her mouth to speak, heads spinning towards her. She doesn’t speak when she sees Vision just before her. Wanda’s eyes widen.

“No,” she says. “No, you can’t.” She takes a step back from Vision. He aches. She doesn’t recognize him. She doesn’t know him anymore. “You can’t be him,” she says again. “I killed him. Thanos killed him.” The scarlet smoke around her hands bursts from her palms, clouds and tendrils of it surrounding her. “They’ve taken me from one Hell and put me in another.” She raises her hands to strike him down, and Vision closes his eyes. He will let this happen. But it doesn’t happen. He isn’t struck from existence again.

Shuri leaps up from her brother to stand in front of Vision, spreading her hands in a peaceful gesture. “No, don’t hurt him,” she begs. “Don’t hurt him. Please.” Wanda boils with barely concealed rage.

“What kind of sick joke is this?” she snarls. “He’s dead and you create this fake?”

“I rebuilt him!” Shuri yelps. “I rebuilt him from the scans of his brain I took before we tried to remove the stone. “Please. It’s him, it’s really him, I swear.”

Wanda lowers her hands, turning towards Vision again. Her magic falls away and she is just Wanda again. She is the girl who taught him to be human. “Vizh?” she whispers. He nods, stepping forward.

“Yes,” he says. “I… I am different, but… My mind is the same.”

Wanda walks slowly towards him, reaching up. Her hand still just before she touches his cheek. She does finally, brushing it with her fingertips gently. He is hesitant to touch her, but in the end he can’t help himself. He cups her cheek next. “I am sorry I am cold,” he says. She shakes her head.

“I do not feel cold,” she says. “I feel only you.”

Wanda leans forward, their foreheads touching, and despite his metal heart, Vision has never felt more human.

—-

The whole procedure is bittersweet, Thor thinks. He is helping to reunite families, but some of them are coming back alone. Peter and Sam are alone, but they are back. He looks over and sees Peter on his mobile telephone. He hears Aunt May over and over and Ned and okay and I love you. But there is still one of them who is truly alone.

Thor turns to look at Rocket Raccoon who stands in a corner, watching. He hasn’t said a word the entire time. He just watches. Thor recalls what he promised himself when he gave Rocket the gift. He still holds that promise close to his chest and he means it. He is a king without a kingdom, a man over 1000 years old. He has had his time. It is his time to give someone else that chance. “Rabbit,” he says.

“Whaddaya want?” Rocket asks a little gruffly.

“I have one request of you,” he says. He crouches down to meet Rocket’s eyes. “I am giving this axe to your Groot. When he returns, make sure he takes care of it. And take care of him.” Rocket’s eyes widen and his tail twitches as he realizes what Thor means.

“Yeah,” he says. “Yeah. I’ll do that. I got it, big guy.” Thor claps the raccoon on the shoulder, almost knocking him over.

“Perfect,” he says happily. “Take care, my little friend.” Thor rises to his feet, swinging his axe. Rocket follows. The noise startles the other Avengers, drawing their attention. Thor leaps into the rainbow, rocketing into the sky. The rainbow disappears behind him.

—-

Rocket waits eagerly. He knows Groot is returning soon, knows he will have his closest friend back. He doesn’t have to wait too long because the rainbow bursts into the throne room and Groot tumbles out, clutching Stormbreaker which is far too big for him. When the rainbow fades, he drops it. “Groot!” Rocket cries, running towards him.

“I am Groot,” Groot says happily. He is still taller than Rocket, so he squeezes him close to his chest. “I am Groot, I am Groot, I am Groot!” Rocket laughs, tears pricking his eyes and wetting his fur.

“I know, you big lug,” he says, punching Groot in the shoulder. “I know. Don’t strangle me to death when I just gotcha back.” Groot drops Rocket, who is still beaming.

—-

Many of them are gone, Vision thinks. Mr. Stark, Colonel Rhodes. Wong. M’Baku. Captain Rogers. Thor. Many of them are gone, but some of them remain. Sacrifices have been made, he knows. But it’s the reason they have made these sacrifices that warms his heart of metal. They have made the sacrifice of their own life to save someone they love. They have made the sacrifice to protect their homes. They have made these sacrifices for all the right reasons. They have made these sacrifices for all the right reasons.

Vision decides that even though he isn’t the same as he used to be, he will try to be as good as he can. He will try to be as human as he can. With Wanda at his side and these great examples of humanity before him, he thinks it will be much easier, even if he has a metal heart.

—-

_Addendum_

Bruce Banner sits just outside the palace in Wakanda and he hates himself. Bruce has hated himself many, many times before, but he doesn’t think any time is worse than this one. He has put a gun in his mouth with the safety off and his finger on the trigger more times than he can count but he has never wanted to more than he does now. He can’t shake the feeling that it is his fault. If he had been able to transform, if the Hulk appeared, he could have had another go at Thanos. Enough time for the others to do something. But he didn’t. It is partially his fault that Thanos was able to finish his plan. It is partly his fault that so many people are gone. It’s his fault. It’s his fault.

He can’t shake the thought. Logically, he knows a few things. He knows that a lot of it is survivor’s guilt. He knows a lot of it is the serotonin deficiency in his brain. For all of his experiments and all of his work and everything he has tried, he has never been able to fix the serotonin in his head. The one thing that does work is the Hulk. For some reason, whenever he transforms into the Hulk… His mind is clear. Balanced. It’s just a little greener. But the big guy… He’s oddly silent.

It’s ironic, Bruce thinks. There was a time when he would do anything to get rid of the big guy, but now he’s begging for him. The Hulk is the only thing that will help him and he’s getting worse. He’s getting so, so much worse. He buries his hands in his messy girly hair and squeezes tightly, pulling on it. Anything to ground him. Anything to stop him. He needs help. Oh, god, he needs help.

Bruce lets go of his hair, looking up to the Wakandan sun. He’s sitting underneath a tree, the branches above him splitting the sky. He doesn’t speak because he can’t speak. He can’t do anything. He can’t think he can’t speak he can’t think he can’t speak he can’t he can’t he can’t he can’t-

Until he can. He can’t until he can. His fingers are turning green, ever so slightly. Just the tips. Then he hears the big guy in his head. _Hulk can_ , he says, or Bruce thinks. He’s still not entirely sure how this works. _Hulk help. Hulk sorry he gone. Afraid. Hulk afraid but Bruce not afraid. Hulk help Bruce. We share now_.

Bruce smiles faintly. He curls his fingers in, a very loose fist. He can feel him there now, the other guy. He’s there, really there. He’s helping. They’re sharing Bruce’s head and it feels so nice.

He throws himself back, laying sprawled out on the ground. They’re sharing. For the first time ever, Bruce is at peace.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Groot translations: 
> 
> “I am Groot!” - Dad!
> 
> “I am Groot, I am Groot, I am Groot!” - I missed you so much. I missed you. I love you.


End file.
